Adjustable molding system for forming material on pipe

Abstract

A molding system for applying insulation to a pipe employs an elongate mold in which to receive the pipe. A mold adjustment mechanism can adjust a shape of the mold to correspond to a shape of the pipe as the pipe sags in the mold cavity. In a method of insulating the pipe, the shape of the mold is adjusted to correspond to the shape of the sagging pipe and curable material is imparted into the mold while maintaining the adjusted shape of the mold. The elongate mold can include at least one double-walled mold member with an inner form wall, an outer jacket, and a plurality of radial supports that support the outer jacket on the inner form wall in radially spaced apart relation therewith.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of insulating the pipe, the method comprising:
 positioning the pipe in a mold cavity of an elongate mold such that the pipe is supported at a first end portion and a second end portion of the elongate mold and sags in the mold cavity between the first end portion and the second end portion of the elongate mold;   adjusting a shape of the elongate mold to correspond to a shape of the pipe as the pipe sags in the mold cavity; and   imparting curable material into the elongate mold while maintaining the shape of the elongate mold to correspond to the shape of the pipe as the pipe sags in the mold cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising opening the elongate mold before positioning the pipe in the mold cavity and closing the elongate mold after positioning the pipe in the mold cavity, wherein said adjusting the shape of the elongate mold is performed after said closing the elongate mold. 
     
     
         3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of adjusting the shape of the elongate mold comprises pulling a middle portion of the elongate mold downward with respect to a longitudinal end portion of the elongate mold. 
     
     
         4 . A molding system for applying insulation to a pipe, the molding system comprising:
 an elongate mold having a length along a longitudinal axis extending from a first end portion to a second end portion, the elongate mold defining a mold cavity in which to receive the pipe such that the pipe is supported at the first end portion and the second end portion of the elongate mold, the elongate mold comprising at least one double-walled elongate mold member extending along the length of the elongate mold and defining at least a portion of the mold cavity, the double-walled elongate mold member comprising:
 an inner form wall having a perimeter edge margin; 
 an outer jacket wall having a perimeter edge margin, the outer jacket wall being spaced apart radially outward of the inner form wall with respect to the longitudinal axis such that the inner form wall and the outer jacket wall define a fluid annulus section therebetween, 
 a seal sealingly engaged with the perimeter edge margin of the inner form wall and the perimeter edge margin of the outer jacket wall to seal the fluid annulus section; and 
 a plurality of radial supports at spaced apart locations along the length of the mold, each radial support having an inner end region and an outer end region spaced apart along a respective support axis, each support axis extending generally radially with respect to the longitudinal axis, the inner end region of each radial support being joined to the inner form wall and the outer end region of the radial support being joined to the outer jacket wall whereby the radial supports support the inner form wall and the outer jacket wall in radially spaced apart relation; 
   wherein each of the plurality of radial supports is spaced apart from the seal such that the fluid annulus section extends 360° about each radial support with respect to the respective support axis.   
     
     
         5 . A molding system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein each radial support is formed from a separate piece of material than the outer jacket wall. 
     
     
         6 . A molding system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein each radial support is welded to each of the inner form wall and the outer jacket wall. 
     
     
         7 . A molding system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the fluid annulus section has a radial thickness of less than 1.0 inches. 
     
     
         8 . A molding system as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the radial thickness is less than 0.5 inches. 
     
     
         9 . A method of making an elongate mold member of an elongate mold configured to define a mold cavity in which to receive the pipe for applying insulation material to the perimeter of the pipe, the method comprising:
 forming an inner form wall,   supporting an outer jacket wall member on the inner form wall member such that the outer jacket wall member is radially spaced apart from the inner form wall with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongate mold and the inner form wall and the outer jacket wall define a fluid annulus section therebetween;   placing a plurality of radial supports into spaced apart openings formed in the outer jacket wall; and   joining each the radial supports to each of the inner form wall and the outer jacket wall.